November 7, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somali Deputy PM Attends World Youth Forum In Egypt
07 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 159 Words
Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guleed has attended the fourth World Youth Forum held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egyptian resort town between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea. The event is scheduled to go on for 7 days from 4th to 10th November 2017 and the theme for the conference this year is “We Need to Talk” aiming to spread a message of peace, prosperity, harmony, and progress around the world .
Deputy PM, Guleed had a prior meeting with the president of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi discussing collaboration on how to eliminate terrorism, job opportunities that will encourage the Somali youth to avert them from entertaining and inclining toward fanatical activities among others. Meanwhile president Al-Sisi pledged working with the Somali government and its people with no strings attached approach. On the other hand, Guleed had other meetings with the world leaders who attended the forum including the PM of Equatorial Guinea Francisco Pascual Obama Asue.
Key Headlines
- Somali Deputy PM Attends World Youth Forum In Egypt (Goobjoog News)
- Somaliland Election Campaigns To End On Friday (Garowe Online)
- Galmudug Leader Calls For Support To End Galkayo Tensions (Dhacdo.com)
- AMISOM Launches Attack Against Al-Shabab in Somalia (VOA)
- Turkey As Somalia’s First Responders (Daily Sabah)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somaliland Election Campaigns To End On Friday
07 November – Source: Garowe Online – 240 Words
Somaliland is moving closer to the deadline of the presidential election, which is expected to take place next week, November 13. Three Presidential candidates from UCID, KULMIYE and WADDANI parties, namely Feysal Ali Warabe, Abdirahman Irro and Muse Bihi Abdi respectively are vying for the presidency. The aspirants will be wrapping up their election campaigns in the major towns and regions next Friday as they struggle to win the votes of the registered voters before going to the coming election.
Muse Bihi Abdi, KULMIYE’s flag bearer held his campaign rally in Erigavo district of Sanaag region on Monday, November 6 and made promises for the locals if he is elected as the President of Somaliland. The rival candidate from the political party of WADDANI, Abdirahman Irro is set to speak his supporters in the same city on Tuesday, the final turnout of his bid for the top seat of Somaliland.
The ongoing election campaigns are set to be concluded in Hargeisa, the administrative capital of Somaliland on Friday and there will be two-day break ahead of the voting. The people of Somaliland will go the polls to elect their fifth President on Monday, November 13 from the three candidates running for the seat, according to the state’s electoral commission. The outgoing President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Siilaanyo will not run for re- election as he leaves office after serving his constitutional term. He has been in power since 27 July 2010.
Galmudug Leader Calls For Support To End Galkayo Tensions
06 November – Source: Dhacdo.com – 135 Words
The President of Galmudug State of Somalia, Ahmed Duale Gelle (Xaaf) has urged for support to end the tension in Galkayo. The Galmudug leader made the comments while addressing the Upper House when the Federal Member State leaders visited Somalia’s Upper House.He also requested the support of the Senators in making the talks between Galmudug and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa (ASWJ) to yield fruits. “We already have a conflict, still we have a problem the Ahlu Sunna issue we want it to be resolved as soon as possible and for you to select a committee for us to succeed in the talks between Galmudug and ASWJ,” said the President. The Galmudug leader promised to invite Federal MPs during the opening of the Galmudug regional assembly in January and requested them to honor his invitation.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM Launches Attack Against Al-Shabab in Somalia
06 November – Source: VOA – 270 Words
African Union troops in Somalia have launched an operation to flush out al-Shabab militants from the Lower Shabelle region and secure main supply routes in the area. Witnesses told VOA Somali they saw AU troops along a road and in a farming area between the towns of Afgoye and Bal’ad, while noting that Al-Shabaab did not have a major presence in the area Monday. The AU Mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, said in a statement that it launched the operation after receiving information that Al-Shabab was “destabilizing” a key road linking Mogadishu to Ballidogle airport, 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of the capital.
Ballidogle is an airbase in the Lower Shabelle region where U.S. advisers train Somali military units. Units from the Somali National Army also participated in the operation. Both AMISOM and Somali government officials have promised a major offensive against al-Shabab starting with the two regions neighboring Mogadishu Lower and Middle Shabelle. It’s unclear if today’s attack on al-Shabab is part of the major offensive touted by Somali and AU forces, but AMISOM says operations against Al-Shabab militants will be “phased.”
It has been two years since the AU launched an offensive against Al-Shabaab. The Somali government pledged the new offensive after the Oct. 14 truck bomb in Mogadishu that killed 358 people with 56 others missing and presumed dead. Meanwhile on Monday, Al-Shabab has executed four men accused of “spying” for the Somali government and Ethiopian troops operating as part of AMISOM. The men were taken to a public square in the town of Buale in Middle Juba region where they executed by firing squad.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“For now and the foreseeable future, Turkey will remain Somalia’s first responder. However, the Somali government must use the good relations with Turkey and its direct diverse support to illustrate to other valuable partners that Somalia has truly turned the corner towards stability, good governance and progress. This Turkey cannot do for Somalia.”
Turkey As Somalia’s First Responders
06 October – Source: Daily Sabah – 778 Words
International observers are often fascinated with the Somali people’s close relations with Turkey and their appreciation for the support. Indeed, as a recovering state that has experienced one of the most traumatic civil wars in modern history, Somali has been and continues to be assisted by many partner nations and agencies in different ways alongside Turkey. Of course, for this, the Somali people and government are grateful, but the question remains, what makes Turkish assistance so much more appealing to the Somali people?
Somali will never forget President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s first visit with his family and a plane full of cabinet ministers, humanitarian professionals and business leaders at the height of the 2011 famine. By simply setting foot in a supposed international no-go zone, President Erdoğan re-injected hope and optimism in the Somali people. Erdoğan ultimately dismissed the hopelessness attached to Somalia by the international community by making clear that African country did not need containment like an international pariah state, but instead it needed support to be able to stand up once again and contribute to its own stability and progress.
Now, many foreign dignitaries regularly visit Somalia, but the year 2011 was a game changer for Somalia and the way the world viewed it simply because of President Erdoğan’s visit. Following the 2011 visit, President Erdoğan has went many more times to Somalia and each time the Turkish government’s efforts in Somalia have become more visible. Where most international support to Somalia is through multilateral channels, Turkish financial and development assistance has always been direct and driven by public need and national priorities.
Among these are the infrastructure that Mogadishu and other cities rely on including roads, hospitals and the management of the port and airport for service delivery and revenue generation to finance public expenditure. In addition, Turkish schools and professionals are living and working alongside the Somali population and strengthening people to people relations that are crucial for confidence building and changing the still dominant negative narrative on Somalia.
The best example of Turkey leading the way in direct response to Somali needs is the immediate arrival of Turkish health assistance after the most recent devastating terrorist attacks in Mogadishu a few weeks ago, which killed over 300 people. In addition to sending the first medical plane to provide emergency treatment and then evacuating many of the most injured, Turkish Health Minister Ahmet Demircan also visited the day after to show solidarity and reiterate Turkish commitment to supporting Somalia through this difficult process.
At a time when the world stood still in shock, the Turkish government responded without hesitation. This no doubt truly touched the hearts and minds of the Somalians everywhere, so much so that Turkey is now clearly seen as Somalia’s first responder by its people. The success of the Turkish engagement and partnership in Somalia has been its directness, swiftness and visibility.
The Turkish engagement has cut out expensive foreign middlemen and the crippling bureaucracy associated with international multilateral assistance that delays development. Turkish Airlines (THY) is the only international carrier that flies to Mogadishu, Turkish investors are the first on the ground, Turkish hospitals and schools are among the key public service providers Somalis rely on, and Turkey has established a training facility to train the next generation of Somali soldiers where others have been concerned with training units for smaller operations.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf : BREAKING: AU announces that 1,000 soldiers will be withdrawn from Somalia by 31st Dec 2017: Mission chief Francisco Madeira tells media
@AbdulBillowAli: #Turkey as #Somalia‘s first responders.#Erdogan‘s visit in 2011 a game changer 4 Somalia & z way z world viewed it.
@HarunMaruf: AMISOM Launches Attack Against Al-Shabab in Somaliahttps://www.voanews.
@DalsanFM: BREAKING #Somalia Government calls for the withdrawal of a planned Oil Summit in Nairobi. Govt distance itself from the summit #SomaOil
@ProfKarshe: Somalia don’t need money. Somalia needs direct infrastructural development. Thank you Turkey and@RT_Erdogangovernment for helping Somalia.
@engyarisow: Somali National Army begun military operations against terrorists group of Al-Shabaab by recapturing towns such as Basra and others in Middle Shabelle Region of#Somalia – We have to go after terrorists in order to deny them to regroup and plan terrorists’ attacks
@amisomsomalia: #Somalia is at a critical stage towards peace and security. As the @_AfricanUnion, we are honoured to be a part of this process. #ANPC
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Deputy Prime Minister, Mahdi Mohamed Guleed meets with Egyptian President, Abdi Fatah El Sisi in Egypt.
Photo: @DeputySomaliPM